Acid Reflux
Acid Reflux, also known as “heartburn” has nothing to do with your heart and everything to do with your stomach and esophagus. This is another very common ailment experienced by millions of adults with a wide range of ages and occurs very regularly with both men and women. Acid reflux is caused by many diet issues, stress, unhealthy habits such as smoking and lack of exercise. More specifically, acid reflux has to do with the pH (or levels of acid) in the stomach. In bad cases, acid reflux can even make its way into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation, even causing damage. Acid reflux can be very uncomfortable to the individual as acid eats away at the lining of the esophagus creating a small ulcer type wound. It can even create ulcers in the stomach in extreme cases.
Factors that cause acid reflux
Acid reflux is caused mostly because of a bad diet, high in acids and caffeine. These acids add to the already existing acids within the stomach creating a more extreme pH than is normal. Juices and fruits that are high in acid such as, tomatoes, citric fruits, and the like tend to make the problem even worse. Also spices that give your food a little zing can also be main culprits of this problem. Chili peppers and spearmint are spices that should be avoided if you have problems with acid reflux.
Caffeine is a major cause as this can cause you to produce more hydrochloric acid within the stomach. When this happens, sometimes these acids make it past your epiglottis as it travels up the throat. Smoking is also a factor that can cause more acid to be formed.
Many doctors will treat this problem conventionally, using ant-acids and acid reducers such as omeprazole. This may be a quick fix, but over time, the stomach will eventually stop being able to sustain a natural pH and cause even more digestive problems in the future. When this happens, bacteria can thrive in the gastro-intestinal system, giving rise to even more issues in the body.
Defeat Acid Reflux Naturally
Eating foods that are low in acid can defeat acid reflux. Avoid fruits like oranges and lemons, as they contain high amounts in citric acid. Also, avoid tomatoes, peppers, and other spices.
Stress is a main factor, so be sure to calm yourself through the use of breathing exercises.
Cucumbers naturally reduce the presence of acid in a very natural way; so drinking cucumber juice along with sipping filtered water may often stop your heartburn quicker than many market antacids. Raw, organic apple cider vinegar has a high capacity to reducing the acidity of the stomach, so taking a teaspoonful of this after meals can stop the heartburn from occurring. Aloe Vera has many wonderful healing properties that will assist in helping from a damaged esophagus.
Most importantly, avoid overeating before bedtime. This should be a general rule of thumb for healthy living; however, overeating will cause your stomach to produce more acid, whereby causing acid reflux to occur again.